Wads

[foesgth]

Okay guys, the one thing I have learned from reading the Lyman Shot shell book and the Ballistic Products manuals is this...if you change a single thing in a published recipe


Now it seems that what ever wad I buy is used only for the one recipe I found. I am loading slugs and buckshot in new hulls (Cheddite, Rio, etc) and roll crimping. Ballistic products emails me almost every week with a bulk shipping offer. So, what is the most "useful" selection of wads? I already figured out I need some Federal 12SO wads. What other wads are the most common.

On another note is there any place to get the information in the loading manuals as a spreadsheet? I am just getting started on shot shell loading and I would like to be able to sort the loads by components. As an example I bought the .310 round ball mold from Track of the Wolf. I have several mayonnaise jars full of shot. I would like to sort the loads by that component. This shotgun stuff is confusing for someone who has been loading metallic since Nixon was in office.

Thanks,
Randy

[longbow]

Hahaha! You are not far off! I recall when I first got going and had such limited access to reloading components (still an issue) that getting what was listed for a recipe was not easy. What frustrated me with the Lyman manuals is that generally they only show one or two variations for a given hull and powder and often they change both primer and wad so hard to figure just what happens if a guy changed just a wad or a different brand of hull but "same" design.

Reloading for Shotgunners lists a variety of charges and combinations for many of their recipes so that helps.

BPI tends to list recipes using only their components so while good to have, a bit limiting.

I wound up buying more manuals, downloading powder manufacturer's load data, collecting reloading articles and data until I had enough recipes and cross reference material I felt comfortable making some substitutions. I had one quite serious reloading mishap that cost me a shotgun but not much else so I was lucky. That was a deviation from a recipe in a manual where I made a short hull and filled the hollow cavity in a Lyman Foster slug. Long story that didn't turn out well.

I do make some minor substitutions but generally I stick pretty close to published recipes. However, wads is one component I don't worry a lot about at least to the point that I'll substitute a similar type of wad. One thing that I believe can be an issue is removing the cushion leg and replacing with hard card wads or wad with no or very stiff cushion leg can result in a pressure spike at ignition due to lower volume/higher pressure kinda like seating a boolit deeper in a brass cartridge.

As for load data and spreadsheet, you might try looking here:

http://castpics.net/dpl/index.php/re...ll-data-lookup

You can export as csv file and use in a spreadsheet. Not sure if there are other sources of load data in spreadsheet form or not but from there you could manually add other info to your spreadsheet. Not a small task as there is lots! Maybe not too big a job if you limit to components you intend to use only... like certain brands of hulls and primers.

Also to note, it is generally accepted to substitute equal weight of buckshot or slug in a birdshot recipe. Most slug and buck load data is for highest velocity at safe pressure where most birdshot load data is for consistent velocity of 1100 to about 1300 FPS so subbing buckshot or slug won't result in a high performance load but it will be a safe load. Buckshot will likely require some shotcup/wad column tinkering due to volume difference to birdshot.

Anyway, I am starting to ramble (nothing new!).

I hope that helps some.

Longbow

[trapper9260]

Here is a place you can get some wads that is a replacement of the name brand https://cacassociatesinc.com/collect...ybuster?page=1 here is list of type can be used https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/sit...adsubchart.pdf

[Hogtamer]

You've already messed up! Shot must be kept in pickle, not Mayo jars! Some manuals would have you believe things like this. Longbow gives good advice"

[RED BEAR]

I swap wads all the time. I do not swap hulls but wads never gave it a thought. I never start with full bore loads when substituting wads. Never had a problem . Hate to admit it but i buy whats cheap if they run hulls or wads on sale thats what i will be loading. I don't hunt i just enjoy shooting my shotguns.

[6pt-sika]

For the 12 , 20 , 28 and 410 I use either AA or STS hulls interchangeably and mostly Claybuster wads although a few others are used . For the 10 gauge I use just Rem hulls and REM wads . For the 16 I use Rem Win and Federal hulls and CB or Rem wads . I have a pile of stuff for shotguns so using different wads for each minute difference ain’t part of the game.

[MT Chambers]

Just match the manufacturers' cases with the wads, for Rem. Premier cases get a few diff. Rem. wads ie: Fig. 8, Rp 12, and TGT12...…..done.

[gpidaho]

I've started substituting a few wads. I had to go count and I'm kind of surprised to find that I have a variety of thirty five different types of wads accumulated over the years. Heck, it seems I still never have the ONE I need. Gp

[mdi]

I'm in the same situation, brand new to shot shell reloading (but reloading centerfire cartridges since '70). From what I've "discovered" most of the reason for "component specific" load data is the finished height of the shot/wad column, to get a proper crimp. And mebbe some differences in internal dimensions/shapes of some hulls. I am purchasing components from the info I get from my Lyman manual, and after a bit of experience I do believe I'll have a bit more freedom with components...

But I have read a couple shell's primers and primer pockets are "off size" or metric and only specific primers can be safely used. But hey, I'm totally new and only have one shot gun and only have info I can glean from my Lyman manual and internet forums (yeah, I know "internet wisdom")

[MT Chambers]

If you don't match cases to wads you can end up with powder migrating up beside the wad and some very poor sounding shots, don't substitute, your not saving money as most wads are inexpensive. As someone else mentioned you need to have the right column height for crimping or shot will drop in your pocket.

[longbow]

Not only wad column height, the shape of the "combustion chamber" in the hulls is different and that can affect both pressure and wad column/crimp height.

Primers are a whole other ball game too. According to pressure testing by Tom Armbrust a simple primer change from one brand to another can change pressure by up to 3000 PSI. Not all 209 primers are the same!

Most of my manuals warn not to substitute components because seemingly small changes can result in large pressure differences. Not a big deal if you are loading an 8000 PSI recipe and use a "hot" primer that raises pressure to 11,000 PSI but certainly a concern if you are already running 10,500 or so and see a 3000 PSI increase.

Alternately if you are loading to a low pressure recipe and sub too mild a primer you may get a blooper. Again, not necessarily a catastrophe but if you happen to be doing some rapid fire and get a blooper followed by another round you may well have a barrel blockage... that could go very badly!

For the most part shotshells are loaded to result in a consistent velocity of around 1200 FPS for wing shooting, trap, skeet, etc. and so the recipes are designed to do that at safe pressure. Slug and buckshot recipes are generally "high performance" loads designed to get the highest velocity they can out of a given set of components at safe pressure.

Unlike metallic cartridge reloading there are few dependable pressure signs in shotshell loading so difficult (not impossible) to work up loads on your own.

Best to use published recipes.

Longbow